


The Divine Implements

by thatnerdemilyj



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Assumptions, Dirty Dancing, Drunken Flirting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gay Panic, Jace Wayland Deserves Nice Things, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, POV Jace Wayland, Pining, Regret, Sloppy Makeouts, Swearing, everyone is bi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-22 11:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22848562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemilyj/pseuds/thatnerdemilyj
Summary: Jace had looked up to Simon as the writer of his favorite science fiction series for years. When Izzy gets cast as the main character in the tv adaptation, Jace is excited to finally meet the man behind the story that embedded itself within him. When Simon starts dating Izzy, things get a little bit tricky.
Relationships: Simon Lewis/Jace Wayland
Comments: 11
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a majorly overdue gift to [sadqueerboy](https://sadqueerboy.tumblr.com/) for being my 500th follower on Tumblr. Thank you so much for being wonderful!

Jace ran as quickly as he could towards the sound of shrieking coming from Isabelle’s bedroom. His heart was pounding in his chest as he ran up the stairs, colliding into Alec at the top. They glanced briefly at each other before slamming Isabelle’s door open, both ready for whatever was behind. Well, they thought they were ready. Isabelle was lying on her back on her bed, tears streaming from her eyes and her hands and legs flailing every which way. 

“Izzy, what is going on?!” Alec shouted, immediately checking Isabelle for injury while Jace scouted out the room. He saw her phone on the ground and picked it up slowly. When he saw an unidentified number on the screen, he held it up to his ear. 

“What did you do to my sister?” Jace said, a mixture of seriousness and humor evident in his voice. The person on the other end chuckled softly, a breathy sound that sent chills up Jace’s spine. 

“I guess she’s happy?” The man sounded nervous to Jace but before he had a chance to inquire more, Izzy grabbed the phone from him.

“Simon, thank you so much. I’ll see you soon!” She practically screamed into the phone before hanging up quickly and jumping from foot to foot excitedly. “You’re looking at the new Callie Frost,” Izzy squealed, launching into the arms of her oldest brother. Alec caught her happily while Jace looked on, shock crossing across his face. 

Callie Frost was the main character in Simon Lewis’ debut trilogy, the Divine Implements. Jace may (or may not) have been absolutely obsessed with. The series followed the trials and tribulations of Callie Frost, a young woman who doesn’t know she’s part of an enhanced race of humans called the shadowslayers, sworn to fight demons and protect the earth from the Kings and Queens of Hell. She meets shadowslayer Jackson and her whole world changes. Jace had read the first book and immediately connected with Jackson’s character. He was broody and had an attitude very similar to Jace’s. When Izzy told him she was reading for the part of Callie, he was secretly (and not so secretly) rooting for her. Izzy fit Callie and he knew she needed a breakout role to further her acting career.

“Iz, this is huge news!” Alec yelled excitedly, reaching out to Jace to join in on their hug. Jace shyly took a step forward, wrapping his arms around his siblings.

“We’re so proud of you, Izzy. You so deserve this,” Jace mumbled into Izzy’s shoulder. She giggled and squeezed them both a little tighter. Jace relished the feeling of love between his two siblings, grateful to be a part of it. Izzy squealed once more before she pushed away and started to rummage through her closet.

“I have to go meet Simon in a few hours to talk about shoot schedules and when I can finally meet Jackson!” Izzy threw a few outfits on her bed and ignored the two men as they walked out of the room.

“So, Izzy is gonna be Callie. How jealous are you that she gets to spend every day with your imaginary boyfriend?” Alec teased. Jace shoved his shoulder playfully and rolled his eyes.

“I’ve never even met Simon, Alec. He is probably a major dork who lives in this fantasy world he’s created to ignore the actual world where he lives as a major dork.” Jace ignored Alec’s laughter as he walked down the stairs. He helped himself to some snacks from the pantry before Izzy barreled down the stairs, 6-inch heels and bright red dress immediately catching his eye.

“Are you meeting Simon or planning on seducing him?” Jace commented as he eyed her outfit disapprovingly. Izzy scoffed before she stole a package of cookies from Jace’s arms.

“Why, you jealous?” Izzy shot back. Jace rolled his eyes once more.

“Why would I be jealous? You and Alec are delusional if you think I would actually be interested in someone like Simon,” Jace said. He ignored the judgmental eyebrow raise from his sister before he sat down in front of the TV. He clicked on a baseball game as he propped his feet up on the coffee table. The minute he heard the front door shut, he reached underneath the coffee table and pulled out the first Divine Implements book. He let his fingers trace down the author’s face before he shook his head and started in on the first chapter for the tenth time.

* * *

By the time Izzy made her way home, Jace had passed out on the couch with crumbs on his chest and the Divine Implements in his lap. He didn’t hear the front door open or close but felt a tug at his arm. He shot up out of sleep, effectively losing his spot in the book as it flung across the room. 

“This is one of my brothers, Jace. Obviously we caught him at a bad time,” Izzy said. Jace was about to ignore her when he saw Simon Lewis staring over at him. Simon Lewis was in his  _ house _ . He stood up from the couch and attempted to wipe away any leftover crumbs from his shirt. The book had conveniently landed in front of Simon’s feet and he leaned down to pick it up.

“That’s just—,” Jace started as Simon thumbed through the pages. Jace’s face was immediately flush when he thought of the notes he had left in the margins of the book. “I… I like your work,” Jace sighed out as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. Simon nodded and tilted his head at Jace. He flushed even more when Simon caught his gaze.

“These notes are… thorough,” Simon stated as he tossed the book back and forth between his hands. “Can I keep this? I’d like to read through. Izzy tells me you were the one who insisted that she audition for Callie.” Jace nodded slowly as he glanced at a grinning Izzy.

“I did. Your description of her immediately had me thinking of Izzy. Besides the beauty. Obviously this one lacks it,” Jace teased as he nudged his shoulder against Izzy’s. Izzy rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around Jace’s shoulder.

“If it weren’t for Jace, here, I wouldn’t have even heard of this series,” Izzy began as she pulled Jace closer to her. “When the last book came out, it was all he could talk about for weeks. I think he read and watched every interview with y—” Jace wrapped his arm around Izzy’s waist and squeezed, effectively stopping her words.

“What she means is, I really love the world you created, Mr. Lewis,” Jace said lamely. Simon chuckled and held out a hand. Jace looked at it for a moment before he settled his own into the tight grip. He ignored the spark that shot up his arm and the blush that found its way to his cheeks.

“Simon. Call me Simon. We’re going to be seeing a lot of each other, I hope.” Jace blushed deeper as Simon winked at Izzy. Izzy’s laughter filled the room as she skipped over to Simon and looped her arm through his.

“Excuse us, Jace. Simon and I are going to get to know each other a little better!” Izzy called out as she skipped up the stairs. Jace watched the two of them, a spike of jealousy shooting down his spine.

The jealousy surprised him. Izzy and Alec always teased him about being in love with the person who created the shadowslayer world. It was his escape when he was at his lowest, after all. The first book came out on the five year anniversary of his parent’s death. Jace was 15 when they died, a tragic and avoidable death that had Jace cursing them whenever he could. He was 20 when the Divine Implements was left on the counter of his barista job at Java Jones. He was bussing tables and lifting chairs when the bright colors of the cover caught his eyes.

There was a girl on the cover, long raven hair blowing in the wind. In front of her was a man. He was on one knee, sword thrust into the demon above them. Your eyes were meant to focus on her but all Jace could do was focus on him. Jackson. His parents had been murdered by demons, not unlike the demons that haunted his own parents. He coped using sarcasm and scowls, not unlike Jace himself. There was something about the gleam in his blue eyes that had Jace running his fingers over the cover as he slipped the book into his bag.

When he got back to the apartment he shared with Izzy and Alec, he holed himself up in his room for eight hours. It took eight hours for him to read the entire novel and from that moment on, he was hooked. When the second and third books came out, Jace collected them on the day they were available and locked himself in his room, just like the first time. Alec and Izzy had teased him relentlessly about his love for the fantasy novels but Jace couldn’t bring himself to care. He loved the adventures, the romance, the battles, the endings. There was something about the Divine Implements that had him realizing his real world wasn’t enough for him.

That was when Jace enrolled in school. The local community college was inexpensive enough that he could get his foot in the door with a few classes while keeping his job as a barista. Two years later, he was about to finish his Associates degree. It wasn’t one that provided fancy letters after Jace’s name, but it was one that he worked hard for and Jace was happy with it. It wasn’t enough, though. One more year later and he had enrolled himself in a Bachelor’s program. When it was time to decide on a major, he chose creative writing. Sure, it probably wasn’t the best major to make money off of but the Divine Implements author had that degree so who was Jace to judge.

Classes were hard and he had to maintain a C+ or above average in order to keep his full scholarship but Jace had never felt better about his choices. He had created his own universes in the way of short stories and even dabbled in writing additional scenes for the Divine Implements. Jace blushed at the thought. He had spent so much time wondering how Simon created this universe and wanting so much to speak with him about it and their first interaction had been… that.

Now, Simon was walking arm in arm with Jace’s sister as they laughed and chatted about all of the things they had in common. Jace brushed aside the jealousy once more before he propped himself back on the couch. He unmuted the baseball game before he grabbed his notebook and jotted down every detail he could remember about his interaction with Simon. Something told him he would want to remember it.

* * *

A few days later, Jace had been working at Java Jones when Simon and Izzy walked in. Their hands were connected, fingers interlaced in an intimate way that had Jace’s stomach lurching. Izzy had her head thrown back in laughter while a blush spread across Simon’s cheeks. Jace had to look away or else he knew he would say something stupid.

“Hey, brother!” Izzy shouted across the café. Jace rolled his eyes and grabbed Izzy’s favorite cup before filling it with the vanilla latte she always ordered. “Simon, darling, what will you have?” Izzy asked, cuddling into his shoulder and looking up at him with stars in her eyes. Jace heard the shutter of a camera lense and shook his head to try and clear it. Simon cleared his throat, the blush on his face darkening.

“Do you guys do smoothies?” Simon asked. His eyes didn’t leave Jace’s so Jace motioned toward the menu above his head.

“We have many smoothies. You’ll have to be more specific,” Jace answered, his tone a bit more annoyed than he was aiming for. Izzy shot Jace a glare that Jace just shrugged off. Simon sputtered a bit before ordering the mango spinach smoothie. Jace nodded before he moved to the blender. He saw Izzy follow him but any time she started to speak, he would turn the blender on. Izzy finally smacked his arm before motioning to Simon.

“What is your  _ problem _ ?” Izzy asked in a whispered yell. Jace rolled his eyes as he went to press the blend button once more. Izzy unplugged the blender and Jace widened his eyes.

“This is my  _ job _ , Izzy! Accuse me of whatever it is you’re accusing me of another time when I won’t get fired,” Jace yelled back. He lowered his voice when he realized the people were staring and then looked back at Izzy. “Plus, I don’t have a problem. I don’t think it’s so wrong to not want my little sister hanging off some guy she just met in the middle of my workplace.” Jace plugged the blender back in so he could finish Simon’s smoothie. When he was done, Izzy grabbed it roughly from his hand.

“Well, you better figure it out. Simon and I are going to be like this until… until we aren’t anymore, so get used to it!” Jace went to respond but Izzy cut him off. “I would like it if you could make your dislike of him a little less obvious while we are… together,” Izzy finished. She turned around abruptly, her hair whipping across Jace’s face and leaving him to stand with his mouth open. Jace watched as Simon and Izzy chatted, Simon’s wild gestures and Izzy’s bright laugh capturing Jace when he tried so hard to keep his eyes away. When his shift was over a few minutes later, he tossed off his apron and left the café with a huff. He didn’t hear anyone behind him before there was a hand on his arm.

“Jace, right?” Simon breathed out. Jace narrowed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows at the man. He wasn’t sure why Simon had bothered to follow him. Jace nodded anyways before he tugged his arm out of Simon’s grip. He wasn’t sure if he could hide the heat radiating from his skin at the tiny bit of contact.

“Why?” Jace asked. Simon chuckled as he reached into his bag. He pulled out Jace’s copy of the Divine Implements and held it out. Jace grabbed it and flipped through the pages, his eyes widening. He saw what he assumed to be Simon’s scrawl underneath his own notes.

“Your notes were… really good. I wanted to talk about them with you, if you wanted?” Jace stared at Simon, his head tilted. There had to be another reason he wanted Jace’s input.

“Why?” Jace asked again, obviously believing Simon had some alternative plan. Simon chuckled and motioned behind him.

“Izzy told me you’re in school for creative writing? And the script writers on the show aren’t exactly to be desired because of the network that I sold the rights to, except Raphael, but I got lucky that they let me hire him,” Simon spoke slowly at first like he was making sure Jace was following. Jace nodded along with his words, trying and failing to control the beat of his heart.

“Okay…?” Jace narrowed his eyes when another chuckle left Simon’s mouth. If Izzy thought he disliked Simon, he’d be sure to keep whatever he was doing up.

“Jace, I want you to help write the series adaption of my book with the shitty network I had to settle with,” Simon said abruptly, a sigh pushing from his lips. Jace stopped walking like quicksand appeared underfoot.

“You want me to what?” Jace practically yelled. The sound brought out a small smirk on Simon’s lips.

“I want you to work on my show. Izzy has shown me some of your old notebooks and this book?” Simon gestured to the one Jace was now holding. “This is the kind of insight I’ve been looking for. All of the writers this network has hired don’t  _ care _ about Callie and Jackson the way that I do, the way that you seem to,” Simon said exasperated. His wild hand gestures and passionate words had Jace softening.

“If I say yes, will you go back to bugging your girlfriend and leave me to my walk home?” Simon’s face fell for a fraction of a second before he smiled brightly.

“You really mean it?” Simon asked. Jace nodded as he put Simon’s book in his bag. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked back up at Simon.

“You read all of my notes?” Jace asked. When Simon nodded, he matched the movement. “Then you know how important this story and these characters are to me. I may not like you dating my sister, Lewis, but this book changed my life. If that network is as shitty as you say it is, I want to be part of bringing this story to life.” Simon’s mouth was gaped at that point. Jace reached forward uncharacteristically and he let a finger nudge Simon’s chin up to close his mouth. He shook his head at the pretty blush that crossed his cheeks. He shook his head even firmer when he remembered he was looking at his sister’s new boyfriend.

“You sure you don’t want company for the rest of your walk?” Simon asked as he put his own hands in his pockets. Jace thought about it for just a moment before he shook his head.

“It’s only a couple blocks, I’ll be fine. Umm… Izzy has my contact information if you want me to come by the studio?” Jace commented. He knew he should start walking in the direction of his apartment but he could still see Simon’s breath mingling with his own between them and didn’t want that image to disappear yet.

“Sure thing, J. I’ll, uh, text you?” Simon stuttered when Jace raised an eyebrow at him. “What? Too cool for nicknames?” Simon teased. Jace rolled his eyes in order to hide the fondness in them and Simon just grinned at him. 

“Jace is a nickname,” Jace retorted. Simon scoffed and rolled his eyes. “What? It is!” Jace said as Simon started backing away. Just as he was almost out of sight, he stopped.

“I’ll get your number from Izzy,  _ Jonathan _ ,” Simon shouted before he sprinted away. Jace choked on air and snorted out a laugh. Simon was going to be the death of him. 


	2. Chapter 2

_ Find Raphael. He will help you get settled in for your first day.  _

_ And thank you so much for doing this, Jace. I think you’ll be a great asset to the show. _

Ever since Simon had asked him to help develop the script for the Divine Implements, Jace had taken the time to reread the first book at least four times. He had gotten his copy back from Simon with his own notes scrawled in the margins and couldn’t stop himself from reading every word. He could tell that while Simon authored this book and created this universe, it was more than a paycheck to him and it made Jace respect the man even more. He opened the doors to the set and was immediately enveloped in a tight hug. He recognized the perfume as Izzy’s and relaxed into the grip. 

“Jace! I’m so happy you’re joining us. I can’t believe I get to share my first big gig as an actress with my brother, how cool is that?” Izzy squealed. Jace rolled his eyes but they were filled with fondness. He knew how excited Izzy was for this break if it was anything like the excitement he felt. He saw the writer’s room out of the corner of his eye and pulled back, a questioning glance at Izzy. 

“Can I go now? Or do you need more hugs?” Jace teased. Izzy slapped his shoulder before pushing him toward the writer’s room. Jace bit down on his lip as he knocked on the door. A muffled “come in” sounded so Jace pushed the door open. Inside the room was what Jace thought his heaven would look like. There were scripts tossed across the table with dark red ink standing out against the bright white paper. On the walls were mockups of scenes that he had imagined in his head over and over again for the last few years. Callie with her whip uncoiling at her side and Jackson with his duel blades crouched in front of a horde of demons. Jace had never felt a buzz quite like this. 

“And you are?” A smooth voice interrupted his daydreaming and he turned toward it. A man not much older than himself was glaring over at him, a look that could kill and Jace had thought probably had before. 

“I’m, uh, Jace Wayland,” Jace stuttered. He cursed himself silently at the hesitation in his voice. “Simon told me to find Raphael. I’m the new writer,” Jace said, any semblance of hesitance gone from his voice, replaced with pride. The man narrowed his eyes and looked Jace up and down slowly and surely. 

“Of  _ course _ you are. He’s always had a thing for blondes,” the man commented. Jace was about to speak but the man glared at him again. “Raphael Santiago. Head writer for the Divine Implements. Simon said he had to have you on the team so here you are,” Raphael said, his tone filled with judgment. Jace narrowed his eyes back at Raphael. 

“Here I am. And ready to fix whatever you guys have supposedly broken.” A choir of gasps sounded through the room. Jace knew it was risky but something about Raphael immediately pissed him off. 

“Sit down, Wayland. We’re going over episode four. Your sister gave you the scripts for one through three, I presume.” Jace nodded and pulled them out of his bag. He tossed them on the table in front of Raphael before taking his own seat. Raphael’s eyes widened comically before that signature scowl presented itself again. Jace thought he would be seeing a lot more of it. Raphael scanned the pages in front of him and Jace felt his nervousness growing with every disapproving sound Raphael made. 

“So?” Jace asked once Raphael set the scripts on the table. A small, almost unrecognizable version of a smile crossed Raphael’s lips and Jace gaped at him. “You like it?” Jace asked anxiously. 

“You have a lot of nerve, Jace,” Raphael commented as he lined the papers up with his hands. The other writers in the room were awfully quiet and Jace was very uncomfortable. 

“I’ve been told that once or twice,” Jace mentioned as his back straightened in his seat. Raphael nodded, unsurprised by that before calling over to who Jace assumed was an intern of sorts. 

“I want you to make a copy of these edits for every person in this room,” Raphael demanded. The girl nodded enthusiastically and grabbed the papers, running out of the room. “These edits are… not bad.” Jace breathed a sigh of relief and felt his body relax just a little. “Simon respects you. He respects your insight into these characters and I can’t say I disagree with him,” Raphael started. He raised his eyebrows at Jace and lowered his tone of voice just a little before continuing. “But next time you slash an entire script without consulting me, there will be backlash. Understood?” Jace swallowed thickly and nodded. Raphael nodded back before speaking to the group. “Alright, episode four. This is where we meet Venus Cane, the warlock who took Callie’s memories. Where do you want to begin?” Raphael asked. A few of the writers' hands shot up but Raphael was staring at Jace. Jace grinned and started.

“One of the most important aspects of Venus in future books, er, episodes, is her love for Callie’s sister, Alexa. She is smooth talking and ready to flirt, so we have to write her some of the best lines in this show.” Jace could feel his cheeks hurting from his smile as he spoke about one of his favorite characters and relaxed back into the chair as the other writers took notes. He thought happily that he could get used to this. 

* * *

At the end of the day, Jace packed up his scripts in the briefcase Alec had bought him and stole a few of the red pens from the table. He took one more glance around the room before turning toward the door only to see Simon. He was leaning against the frame, his glasses just a little crooked on his face, and Jace’s breath caught in surprise. 

“Simon, hi,” Jace said lamely. Simon waved and pushed off from the door. 

“Already stealing stuff from the set? You should be ashamed,” Simon teased as he waited for Jace to reach him. Jace shook his head as he finally met Simon at the door. Simon stepped in slightly and Jace backed up quickly. He had to keep himself as far away from Simon as possible. With how good of a day he had, he wasn’t thinking too straight about his feelings for Simon. “After you,” Simon said as he gestured out the door. Jace smiled softly at him before walking through it. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Jace peered over at Simon who was gnawing at his lip. Jace decided to speak. 

“So, uh, Raphael is…” Jace trailed off. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of Raphael if he was honest. From reading the scripts, he knew Raphael was good with words and he knew that he had a good sense for characterization, but he was incredibly gruff and Jace wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Yet again, Jace was often described the same way. 

“Raphael is really great once you know him. Him and I dat--” Simon trailed off and looked panicked over at Jace. Jace tilted his head in question before continuing his stride forward. 

“You dated? I don’t see it. He’s so…” Jace gestured vaguely. “And you’re so…” Another vague gesture. Jace would have felt embarrassed if it didn’t get Simon to laugh, but he heard the cheery chuckle and smiled to himself. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with the new information that Simon also liked men. That made his life at least fifty percent harder. 

“Yeah, we get that a lot. But we’re super close friends now,” Simon added as he pointed behind him. “I mean, I wouldn’t have hired just anyone for a writer, now would I?” Jace raised an eyebrow at him and gestured toward himself. Simon pushed his shoulder lightly and rolled his eyes. Jace could really get used to this teasing nature they had going for them. Too used to it.  _ He’s dating your  _ sister _ , idiot,  _ Jace reminded himself. “Yeah, yeah. You’re not just anyone, Jace.” Simon’s voice was softer than Jace had ever heard it so he glanced over. Simon had an even more tender look on his face that had Jace’s heart beating just a little faster. Simon must have seen the nervousness on Jace’s face because he stuttered once more. “I mean, you’re Izzy’s brother. The star of my shows brother. Obviously you’re more than just anyone, right?” Simon patted Jace’s shoulder in an overly platonic gesture that had Jace taking another step sideways to avoid. 

“So…” Jace started as they reached the front doors. “Same time tomorrow, right?” Jace joked, kicking at the floor with his toe. He was avoiding Simon’s eyes so he didn’t see the fondness in them and hoped Simon didn’t notice. When he looked up, Simon was nodding furiously at him. 

“Yeah! Tomorrow! We’re finally shooting episode one. Mostly Izzy’s solo scenes so she gets used to the camera. I’m sure she’d love it if you were there,” Simon requested with a shrug. Jace nodded and pushed open the door. 

“I have some one on one time with Raphael tomorrow morning to go over some changes I made to episode three, but after?” Jace asked. Simon nodded and started waving before his hand stopped abruptly. 

“Wait, changes? You made changes to Raphael’s script and he’s… considering them?” Simon asked enthusiastically. Jace couldn’t tell if he was happy or confused or surprised or a mixture of all three so he nodded slowly before responding.

“Yeah. You hired me for a reason, right?” Simon nodded back, a blank look on his face. The door closed behind Jace before Simon had a moment to react. Jace laughed softly to himself as he walked in the direction of his apartment, scripts and dark red pens in his bag, and a giant smile on his face. 

* * *

In the morning, Jace arrived almost half an hour before he was scheduled to. He was up half the night editing the script for episode three and had already started a broad outline for episode four that he really hoped Raphael liked. It wasn’t like he needed to impress Raphael, but he  _ really _ wanted to impress Raphael. He was the head writer, after all. Being in good with Raphael meant more shows interested. And that was all Jace ever wanted and dreamed of. 

“Wayland?” Raphael called as Jace pushed open the doors to the writers room. Jace waved shyly and set his bag on the table. He noticed there was no one else there, so he sat himself down on the leather couch with his warm cup of coffee and sipped. 

“I got no sleep last night because of  _ you _ ,” Jace accused. He wasn’t sure if they were at the joking stage in their relationship but he was going to get Raphael to like him one way or another and his usual way was humor and charm. 

“I mean, that rarely happens when someone isn’t in my dungeon,” Raphael said stoically. Jace’s eyes widened and he sat up a little straighter in his chair. Raphael rolled his eyes with a small smirk on his face. “You really believe I have a dungeon? What am I? A vampire?” Raphael asked as he took a seat next to Jace on the couch. Jace rolled his own eyes and tossed the script for episode three onto Raphael’s lap. Raphael picked it up before fanning through the pages with his fingertips. 

“There’s not as much red this time,” Jace commented, a smile in his voice. Raphael nodded and started reading. One thing that Jace had noticed quickly was that Raphael preferred silence. He couldn’t say he worked the same, but if Raphael needed silence, he would be silent. He took a few more sips of his coffee and adjusted himself on the couch a few times. A few too many, he figured, because Raphael glared up at him. Jace sent him an apologetic smile before leaning back into the couch and staring up at the ceiling. He heard the rustle of the last page of the script and quickly looked back at Raphael. 

“You made Jackson less of an asshole. Why?” Raphael asked as he tilted his head at Jace. Jace sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“I don’t think Jackson has ill intent for taking Callie’s side in all of this,” Jace started. Raphael waved his hand as if asking him to continue, so he did. “Think of it this way. What we know about Jackson is that he was orphaned young and sent to live with a family that didn’t  _ need _ him. They were a family before him. That’s all Jackson sees. Callie comes into his life without a family and he jumps at the opportunity to help her find them because he can never do that. I think Jackson really feels for her struggle,” Jace said, his voice getting passionately loud as he kept speaking. “And I think he knows that he isn’t ever going to be able to find his family like she is.” His voice dipped, a sadness to it that he didn’t feel like explaining to Raphael and was grateful Raphael didn’t ask. 

“I understand why Simon wanted you on this show, Jace.” A look of surprise flashed across Jace’s face at the use of his first name. Raphael rolled his eyes and tossed the script back over at him. “Make the correction,  _ Wayland _ . And make copies for the team. They’re going to pick it apart as they all believe Jackson is a major asshole, but I agree with you. And that’s all that matters, isn’t it?” Raphael smiled at Jace and he smiled back. He didn’t think that on his second day there he would be changing his mind about Raphael, but he was sure on his way. At that moment, a throat cleared across the room as a surprisingly annoyed looking Simon made himself known. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything. Raph. Jace.” Simon’s tone was clipped and Jace couldn’t begin to guess why. He glanced over at Raphael and saw a teasing smile on his face and figured it couldn’t be anything too serious. 

“Simon, so happy you could join us. Jace here is really a wonderful addition to the team. He’s a real talent, but I guess you know one when you see one, right?” Raphael said as he stood up and walked to the head of the table. 

“I guess so. I’m glad he is such a great addition,” Simon said, his eyes shooting daggers at Raphael. Jace had no idea what was going on. “Jace, Izzy asked for you. She’s nervous and needs some support,” Simon said. Before he could even finish, he turned and started walking out. Jace called a quick ‘be right back’ to Raphael before following Simon out of the room. 

“Wait, Simon! What was that about?” Jace asked, not being one to beat around the bush. Simon scoffed and stopped abruptly, Jace tripping over his feet as to not run into him. Simon crossed his arms over his chest and looked Jace up and down. Usually, the move would cause a tingle down Jace’s spine, but this time, he felt judged. 

“You know, we frown heavily on interoffice relationships,” Simon cautioned as he pushed his glasses up further onto his nose. Jace let out a burst of laughter before gesturing toward Simon. 

“You’re one to talk. You’re dating the star of your  _ own _ tv show!” Jace said exasperated. He couldn’t believe Simon would say such a thing. Simon’s words caught up to him and Jace’s jaw dropped. “Wait, hold the fuck on,” Jace said as Simon started walking away. He ran to catch up with him and grabbed Simon’s shoulder to turn him around. “Are you seriously insinuating that Raphael and I are in a relationship?” Jace asked, his voice in a yell. He barely noticed the other crew members staring at them but he didn’t care. 

“You two seemed awfully cozy on the couch meant for writers who are working  _ hard _ on my show to nap on,” Simon accused. Jace’s jaw dropped even further as Simon started walking again. Before he could get far, Jace tugged at his shoulder once more. 

“Okay, first of all, Raphael and I met yesterday. Second, he is my  _ boss _ on your show and I have to impress him in order to make  _ your _ show better. Third, it shouldn’t fucking matter who I’m cozy with. If Raphael and I wanna fuck on that couch, it’s none of your business, Simon!” Jace yelled. Raphael had walked over to them, standing in between the two and placed his hands on their chests. Jace didn’t realize how close they had gotten or how he could smell Simon’s cologne wafting off of him until he had stopped screaming. His chest was heaving and his heart was racing and he wasn’t sure if it was more anger or attraction. 

“Jace, there will be no  _ fucking _ as you so eloquently put it on that couch. Not with me at least,” Raphael started as he shoved Jace backward. “And Simon, who Jace or I decide to date is none of your business, right?” Raphael said sternly. Simon seemed to snap out of whatever mood he had been in and ran both of his hands through his hair. Raphael turned to look at Jace and pointed over past the writer’s room. “Your sister is waiting for you, Wayland. Now, go.” Jace nodded slowly and took one last look over at Simon. He shook his head slowly as he backed away. He could feel his panting lessen the further he got from Simon and scrubbed a hand over his face. 

“Jace, what was  _ that _ ?” Izzy asked from where she sat in her makeup chair. Jace shrugged and plopped himself down in the chair next to hers. She patted his shoulder gently, a calming gesture she often did when his temper spiked like this.

“Your  _ boyfriend _ has a stick up his ass, Iz,” Jace said as he glared at her in the mirror. Izzy’s bright laughter filled the air and Jace instantly felt just a little better. 

“I can assure you, he does not,” Izzy teased. The makeup artist giggled as she patted some glittery stuff on Izzy’s face. Izzy smiled up at her and she blushed, turning away to go search through a bag Jace assumed was filled with more makeup. 

“Well, he’s an ass. He accused me of flirting with Raphael.  _ Raphael _ !” Jace practically yelled as he slumped further into the chair. “You’ve told him how much I’ve wanted to be a writer, right? Does he think that I’d try to sleep with the head writer to get ahead?” The thought had Jace’s stomach dropping. The only person he would sleep with to get ahead was Simon but of course, no one knew that. Izzy shrugged and shut her eyes as the makeup artist put more glitter on her eyelids. 

“Maybe he’s being protective of Raphael? He’s asexual and one of Simon’s best friends, you know? Can’t have someone with your reputation coming around and forcing him into something he doesn’t want to do,” Izzy said as she opened her eyes. Jace just glared at her. 

“You know I wouldn’t do that. He should know I wouldn’t do that. I think he’s just an ass,” Jace said yet again. He sighed heavily before throwing himself out of the chair and turning back toward the writers room. He didn’t see any sign of Simon and was glad of it. 

“Go write, big brother. Spend the rest of the week getting lost in scripts. Alec is taking me out this weekend to celebrate my first week of filming. You’re coming,” Izzy demanded. Jace knew better than to question his sister ,but he had a hard time believing it was Alec’s idea to take them out. His facial expression said as much. “Alec needs to relax and have fun and I want to celebrate this amazing opportunity I’m being given. Is it too much to ask that my brothers celebrate with me?” Izzy asked. She gave him those puppy dog eyes that had worked on Jace ever since he met her and he sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair before grabbing Izzy’s hand tightly and kissing it gently.

“I’ll see you at home, Iz. Break a leg shooting today. You’re going to do great,” Jace assured her. Izzy smiled softly at him and squeezed his hand in thanks before Jace walked back to the writers room to finish out his second day. 


	3. Chapter 3

The music in the club was pounding through Jace’s body and the alcohol he had already consumed was pleasantly warming his blood. He watched from the bar with Alec as Izzy danced with whoever would dance with her, which was a lot of people considering how beautiful she was. Jace considered her a sister, but even he couldn’t deny the energy Izzy had. But he also couldn’t deny the small sense of anger that flooded through him as she wasn’t dancing with Simon. Jace would give anything to be dancing with Simon and she had a reason to. They were dating and somehow she still chose to dance with anyone else. 

Not that Simon seemed to mind. He was sitting on the other end of the bar with Raphael and another man who kept staring in his and Alec’s direction. Jace thought it was at him and lifted up his drink, but the man just shook his head and pointed a black fingernail in Alec’s direction. Jace smirked as he looked at his brother who just shrugged in response, a panicked look on his face. 

“C’mon. That’s Simon and Raphael he’s with,” Jace said as he started dragging Alec in their direction. Alec stiffened and downed the rest of his beer before motioning toward the bartender for another. Jace laughed loudly, barely heard over the noise of the club. “You don’t have to bring him home, Alec. Just talk to him,” Jace demanded as he pushed Alec toward the man. He watched as the man introduced himself, hearing a barely legible, “Magnus Bane.” Jace’s eyes widened as he recognized the name. 

“You are  _ friends _ with Magnus Bane?” Jace asked Raphael and he squeezed himself in between both him and Simon. He was pointedly ignoring Simon which was fine as he seemed to be doing the same. Raphael shrugged at Jace before ordering another drink. 

“Friends is a strong word,” Raphael said and Simon just scoffed. He leaned in toward Jace, the hot air of his breath hitting Jace’s neck in a way he enjoyed a bit too much. He had found it in himself to forgive Simon for their spat earlier that week. He figured the consumption of alcohol helped force that decision but he couldn’t say he cared. He didn’t like being angry with Simon. As Simon spoke, he could smell the faint odor of liquor and it overwhelmed him even more.

“They grew up together. How do you think Raphael made it big in this industry?” Simon shouted over the music. Jace couldn’t help but laugh. As much as he didn’t want to, the alcohol was lightening him up and Simon  _ was _ really funny. Jace glanced over at Magnus and Alec and immediately laughed again at the redness on Alec’s cheeks. He figured it was because of Magnus’ hand on his waist and whatever his mouth was saying into his ear. He saw Alec gulp and nod before they went out to the dance floor. Jace’s jaw dropped. He had never seen Alec dance at a club before. 

“Close your mouth. Magnus has a way with people. And tonight, he’s going to have his way with your brother,” Raphael teased. Jace shivered at the picture that shot through his head and downed the shot that appeared in front of him. 

“So, you grew up with renowned producer slash director Magnus Bane and didn’t think to tell me?” Jace accused. He knew that there wasn’t really an opportunity for that to come up in conversation but he was allowed to be mad. If you wanted to go anywhere in that business, you wanted to know Magnus. Raphael rolled his eyes and without another word, walked away. Jace turned toward Simon and leaned close. “ _ You _ knew Magnus Bane and didn’t think to tell me?!” Jace accused once more. Simon laughed and Jace thought that maybe the empty shot glasses behind Simon all belonged to him. His smile lit up his face and Jace noticed the glossiness in his eyes. 

“Guess what?!” Simon asked as he leaned even closer to Jace. Jace felt the brush of his lips on the shell of his ear and leaned into it unconsciously. “I know Magnus Bane!” Simon shouted before being overtaken with laughter. Jace tried to glare at him but it was no use. The laughter was contagious and Jace giggled along with him. They stopped, both of their backs resting against the edge of the bar as they watched Jace’s siblings dance. 

“Do you not care that Izzy is dancing with, well, everyone?” Jace asked as he scooted a little bit closer to Simon. He could feel Simon’s heat radiating from him and wanted to feel more. Simon shrugged, the smile never leaving his lips. 

“She’s beautiful. I don’t expect her to sit by the bar with me all night,” Simon said. Jace tilted his head, turning toward Simon. 

“Not a dancer?” Jace asked, forgetting the original point to his question at the thought of Simon dancing. Simon let out a burst of laughter before turning to face Jace and shaking his head. 

“No one wants to see this on the dance floor,” Simon replied as he shimmied his chest slowly in pretend seduction. Jace was so charmed he couldn’t think straight. He knew his brain had turned to mush when he spoke. 

“I do. Dance with me,” Jace said. It wasn’t a question. He meant for it to be a question so Simon had the chance to say no. But it wasn’t. It was practically a demand. One that had Simon nodding his head in immediate agreement and placing his hand in Jace’s outstretched one. Jace pulled them to the center of the dance floor, out of sight of their friends and his family, and pulled Simon close. Simon was stiff, barely moving his shoulders. Jace shimmied into his arm, very similar to what Simon had shown him earlier and the motion caused Simon to laugh. Jace saw some tension ease from his shoulders and rested his hands on his hips. 

“I really don’t know how to do this, Jace,” Simon said nervously as his hands went to Jace’s shoulders. Jace nodded and pulled him just a little closer so their chests bumped together on the beat. 

“You’re doing great. Just, move your hips,” Jace advised. He assisted Simon slightly, his hands pushing and pulling his hips to the beat. He noticed Simon’s hands were stiff on his shoulders and chuckled. He let go of Simon’s hips and was proud to see them keep up with the beat. He brought his hands up to pull Simon’s further around his neck, urging them to grasp together behind his head. Simon did as instructed and took a step closer to Jace. 

“Is this, okay?” Simon asked nervously. Jace saw his adam's apple bob as he gulped and Jace nodded his head slowly. Their chests were flush together, their hips brushing when they both let themselves move. 

“You know, I don’t want to date Raphael,” Jace said conversationally as he tried to distract himself from the press of Simon against him. Jace wasn’t sure if Simon was aware of his fingers teasing a strand of hair on the back of his neck but he wasn’t about to point it out. Simon shrugged and tilted his head. 

“It doesn’t matter. Really. It’s none of my business,” Simon said quickly. A teasing smile formed on his lips as he glanced up at Jace. “I just really wanted to see if I could get you heated. Izzy said it was very easy.” Jace gasped in mock offense and pulled Simon closer. They were barely dancing now. Their bodies were rocking back and forth, their hips grinding together in a way that had Jace’s breath panting out of him. Simon pressed his face into Jace’s neck and his hips moved quicker. 

“You get me… something, Simon,” Jace admitted breathlessly as his hands moved down to Simon’s lower back. He wanted to move them lower, wanted to feel Simon’s ass over his jeans like he’d wanted to do ever since he met him. Simon’s breath ghosted over Jace’s collarbone and their hips were moving erratically, not even close to dancing anymore. Jace felt a slow heat rising in his stomach and realized that with every press of their hips, he got closer and closer to… 

Jace jumped back, pushing Simon away by his hips and peeling them apart as quickly as he possibly could. He felt himself hard in his jeans and licked his lips as he saw Simon’s hungry stare. Jace shook his head frantically as he caught sight of Izzy behind Simon’s shoulder. He turned as quickly as he could and sprinted toward the door. 

Jace kicked at the pebbles littering the ground on his walk from the club. He kicked softly at first and then harder and harder the more he thought about what had just happened. He could still feel himself stiff in his jeans and thought about everything under the sun to make his erection go away. He went through his usual list consisting of his grandmother and malnourished puppies and his siblings. Then he thought of Izzy and it was like his anger shot right down to his jeans and disappeared whatever was happening there. 

He had just gotten hard while dancing with his sister’s boyfriend. Simon. Fuck, Simon. Jace felt his jeans tighten a fraction as he thought about Simon. His hot breath on his neck, his rhythmic hips gyrating so dangerously close to Jace’s, his hunger filled eyes and perfectly wet lips. Jace shook his head frantically and pressed his back up against the brick wall next to him. He leaned down, his hands on his knees with his head between them and breathed deeply. 

“You’re a fucking idiot,” he chastized himself. He scrubbed his hands over his face and continued walking. When he reached the front of his apartment building, he took out his keys and realized just how unsteady his hands were. It took him three tries to get the key in the lock and another two to press the elevator doors. He stepped inside and the elevator dinged, the doors closing slowly. Jace let his head fall back against the back wall and inhaled deeply, pushing the breath out for what felt like the first time in hours. 

He struggled once more to unlock his apartment door and as he stepped in, he realized how empty it was. Izzy and Alec were still out, most likely still dancing and drinking and having fun. That was all that mattered to Jace. The Lightwoods meant everything to him and he wasn’t about to ruin that. Alec would have a fun night getting to know Magnus Bane and Izzy would go home with her super famous and talented and incredible boyfriend, Simon. 

Jace threw himself onto his bed, uncaring that he was still in his jeans, and curled into a ball on his side. Simon was dating Izzy, which, Jace knew, made complete sense. Izzy was gorgeous. She was petite with a killer figure and that glossy hair that men and women of all kinds seemed to love. Jace shook his head as he pressed it more into his pillow, hoping it would swallow him up and disappear him forever. 

Men wanted someone like Izzy. Someone who held themselves with such confidence and backed it up with actual confidence. Someone who looked like Izzy, put together and perfect. Someone who had a past like Izzy’s, a stable relationship with her siblings and parents who were still happily together. They didn’t want someone like Jace. Someone who pretended they had any ounce of confidence, when inside they were really just a sad little boy. Someone who still didn’t have their life together and hid behind the books they could immerse themselves in. Someone who was damaged beyond repair. 

Simon would be an absolute idiot to not be with Izzy. Jace knew that. 

But that didn’t stop him from covering his face with his pillow to hide the tears that would inevitably fall. 

* * *

Jace had always been good at holding himself together. The next few weeks were no different. He was there for Izzy during every aspect of filming, wrote some of his best work and that was according to Raphael, and avoided Simon successfully at all costs. Unfortunately, that had to come to an end. Izzy had her first TV appearance as an actress and needed her brothers for support. Jace obviously couldn’t say no to that, but that meant seeing her and Simon interact up close and personal in front of the entire world. 

It had been easy for him to ignore their relationship while locked inside the writer’s room. He would shut himself off, only interacting with other writers as needed, and write to his heart’s content. He had finished the rest of the first season and kindly excused himself from any and all attempts Simon had made to hear from him about it. From what he had heard, Simon was happy with the adaptation and that was all that mattered. He left that up to Raphael so he didn’t have to be around to see Izzy and Simon flirt and joke and touch each other. 

He couldn’t avoid that while standing on the sidelines within view of his sister. Even Alec’s reassuring hand on his shoulder didn’t help the knots in his stomach. Because while he was in view of Izzy, he was also in view of Simon. And Simon looked amazing. The patterned blue button up and perfectly styled hair did nothing to remind Jace that his lust was absolutely wrong. He had to look away from Simon many times just to catch his breath again. 

It also didn’t help that out of the corner of his eye, he could see Simon glancing over at him whenever he got the chance. He knew that Simon was probably confused. The dancing at the club probably didn’t bother Simon as much as it had bothered him. It probably didn’t get Simon as hard as it got him. It probably didn’t linger in Simon’s mind the way that it lingered in his. A chill raced up his spine and Jace shuddered at the memory. A countdown started in the distance and Jace finally looked back at Simon and Izzy, leaning in close on the couch they had set up for the two. 

“We are here with Isabelle Lightwood, who will portray Callie Frost, shadowslayer extraordinaire, in the TV adaptation of Simon Lewis’ The Divine Implements coming to your screen in a few weeks,” the interviewer started. Izzy smiled brightly and waved at the camera as cheers erupted. Jace couldn’t hold back his proud smile. 

“Thank you so much, Maria. This is all so surreal to me, I mean…” She gestured out toward the audience who applauded once again. Alec let out an uncharacteristic hoot and Jace followed suit. Izzy glanced over at them and blushed before waving them off. 

“And we have Simon Lewis, himself. The creator of Callie and the shadowslayer world. Simon, we all know that adaptations have had the tendency to… lose sight of what the original novel brings. Do you think that will happen with The Divine Implements?” Simon immediately shook his head with ferocity. He caught Jace’s eyes for a moment as he spoke. 

“I have a team of writers that just  _ get _ this world I’ve created. They truly care about the characters and the plot that I’ve written and it makes all the difference. I’ve hand picked some of the best writers in the industry and an up and comer that I think you all will appreciate. He, specifically, understands just how much the shadowslayer universe means to me and other fans of the books and it really… It has increased what this show has become exponentially,” Simon bragged, his eyes still locked with Jace’s. Jace felt his heartbeat quicken and Alec nudged his shoulder but he couldn’t pull his gaze away. Simon’s words meant everything to him. 

“And, I mean, I have to ask. What is going on  _ here _ ?” Maria inquired, with oohh's and aahh's bursting through the air. Jace was immediately snapped back into reality as Izzy leaned her shoulder onto Simon’s and in his direct line of vision. 

“Simon and I have grown very close. It’s really important for me, as an actress, to understand what he wanted Callie to be and who she really is as a person. So that means a lot of time spent together and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better partner,” Izzy said as she wrapped her hands around Simon’s arm. Jace tore his eyes away and turned abruptly. He vaguely heard Alec call out for him, too focused on getting out to respond. He felt his stomach dropping and his breathing excelerate. For a moment, just one moment, he had thought that Simon could have felt the same way about him. But he had Izzy. His sister.  _ Fuck, _ he cursed to himself. 

He turned the corner of the hallway and was pushed into an empty office. He barely caught his footing and as he went to yell at whoever shoved him, his voice caught in his throat as Simon stared at him. His eyes were wide and his chest was heaving. Jace knew his surprise was written all over his face but he couldn’t hide it any longer. 

“Simon, what are you doing?” Jace asked, his voice sounding just as defeated as he felt. Simon opened his mouth to speak but Jace held up his hand. He realized he had asked a question but he couldn’t bear to hear the answer. “I can’t, Simon. I can’t stand around and watch you with her. You sit there and you talk about how everyone else is so important to this show and you can’t just admit that it’s you. You are the reason this universe was created. You  _ created _ it. You are quite possibly the most talented, beautiful, annoying, idiotic--” Before Jace could finish, Simon’s lips were on his. 

And Jace felt the fire light within him. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He kissed Simon and pushed every ounce of emotion he was feeling into the kiss. He gripped onto Simon’s biceps and shoved him against the closed door, his back hitting with a loud sound that reverberated through the silent office. He slid his hands down to Simon’s waist, where they had been a few weeks before and pulled him closer. He pressed their hips together, their chests together, and savored the closeness. 

Simon had his hands on Jace’s chest but they didn’t stay there. They slid up to his shoulders and around the back of his neck, pulling Jace’s lips even closer to him. There were small, barely there moans escaping from Simon’s lips and it drove Jace insane. Every single sound that came from Simon drove him insane. His nerdy voice, his too loud laugh, his stupid snorts when he laughed just a little bit too hard. But the way his moans floated through the air at that moment drove him so deep, he thought he was drowning. Jace pressed further into him, pushing their hips flush together so there was no longer any space between them. Jace was done with space. 

Another breathless gasp left Simon’s lips as Jace pulled away for air. He kept his eyes closed, knowing that one look at Simon would devastate him and pop him back into reality. He didn’t need reality, he needed fantasy. The fantasy that kissing Simon right now wasn’t against everything he knew was right. Jace shook his head, his forehead brushing against Simon’s before he lunged back in. 

That kiss was messy, the slide of tongues and the clang of teeth and Simon pushed himself off of the door behind him. He moved his hands confidently down to Jace’s ass and picked him off of his feet. Jace gasped at the burst of confidence but gripped tightly onto Simon, tighter than he would ever care to admit. Simon rested him on the table behind them and forced Jace’s legs open so he could step between them. Simon’s hands fumbled with the bottom of Jace’s shirt and Jace barely had time to realize how adorable that was before Simon tugged the shirt off of his body. 

The chill that blasted through Jace shook his entire body when Simon’s eyes wandered down it, seemingly memorizing every crevice of Jace’s torso. That was the only way Jace could describe it. Simon’s movements were hesitant but purposeful, his fingers skimming and caressing every inch that he could now reach. Jace shuddered again and wrapped a hand around Simon’s neck to pull him in for another hard kiss. Jace licked at Simon’s lower lip, pulling it into his mouth and biting down softly. The whine it elicited from Simon caused the remainder of his blood to rush to his groin. 

He felt himself growing harder and harder by the second and all of a sudden, so did Simon. He moved one of his hands down to cup at the front of Jace’s jeans and Jace had to fight for his breath. Finally having Simon’s hands on him in the way he had dreamt of for so long had Jace floating on a cloud as he smiled into the kiss for the first time. 

Then they heard the click of heels in the hallway and both sprang apart. Chests heaving, breath panting out of them, their clothes and hair disheveled, Jace without a shirt, and both of them about to burst from their jeans. Simon leaned against the door and fixed the glasses that were now askew on his face and Jace stayed seated exactly where he was. He couldn’t even think of moving, not when he still tasted Simon in his mouth. 

The click of heels disappeared and both of them let out loud breaths that seemed to echo around them. Jace rubbed the back of his neck before realizing he still wasn’t wearing a shirt. He grabbed at it quickly, tossing it on even quicker as we walked toward the door. He saw a small smile on Simon’s face that disappeared when he noticed the glare on Jace’s. 

“Jace, I--” Jace flung up a hand, effectively silencing Simon, a trick Jace made sure to tuck away in his pocket for the next time Simon wouldn’t shut up. 

“Let me leave, Simon. Let me leave and we  _ never _ speak of this again.  _ Especially _ to my sister. Got it?” Jace asked. He tried to sound serious but the desperation was leaking out of his tone. Simon nodded slowly as he stepped away from the door. Jace walked out and slammed the door behind him before racing down the hallway without another look back. 


	4. Chapter 4

Successfully avoiding Simon was a lot harder the next few days. There were press events that Izzy begged him to come to and with the show airing soon, the writers were panicking about how to effectively end the season to ensure a second one. Jace couldn’t seem to focus on what he needed to focus on, though. And unfortunately for him, Raphael noticed. 

“Wayland, care to explain why you decided to throw the book plotline off a cliff and break up Callie and Jackson in the season finale?” Jace could practically see the steam propelling from Raphael’s ears as he slammed the finale script on the table in front of him. All Jace could see was lines and lines of dark red, similar to the first script he had edited. Jace scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He tipped back in the chair so only two of the legs were off the floor. 

“Why wouldn’t I? How daring would it be to separate the two main characters in a show that hasn’t even been picked up for another season? Aren’t you into taking risks, Raph?” Jace used the nickname he knew Raphael hated and smirked when the glare on his face sharpened. Raphael grabbed up the script and threw it onto Jace’s lap with a huff. 

“What has gotten into you? Simon chose you because you  _ know _ these characters and you seemed to care about them as much as we do,” Raphael expressed as he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. Jace shrugged his shoulders and tossed the script into the trash. Raphael stared at him, waiting for some sort of explanation, he assumed. 

“Simon  _ chose _ me because he’s dating my sister. Let’s not pretend that he gives a shit what I have to say about this script. Just fire me already so I never have to come back here,” Jace challenged as he stood up and pressed the palms of his hands flat on the table in front of him. Raphael rolled his eyes and mimicked Jace’s pose. 

“You are here because you have an incredible talent, Jace. And I would hate to see you waste it by letting your  _ feelings _ dictate your ability.” Jace’s jaw dropped in anger. He stalked over to Raphael, shaking his head furiously. 

“I don’t have any feelings, Raphael. If you don’t like my script, don’t use it. It’s that simple,” Jace expressed before he walked toward the door. He hesitated when his hand reached for the handle. He inhaled deeply to prepare himself as he turned back toward Raphael. “Don’t you think it’s a little unrealistic for Callie and Jackson to just… be together. Isn’t there more to it than that? Isn’t it never that simple?” Jace dropped onto the leather couch and scrubbed his hands over his face. He felt the couch beside him sink as Raphael sat himself down. 

“Callie and Jackson fight for each other. That’s what makes it that easy for them to be together. They fight and they stand up for their relationship. It’s why people flock to them, Jace. I thought you of all people would understand that,” Raphael scolded. Jace knew he wasn’t too angry when he rested his hand on Jace’s shoulder, urging him to look up from his lap. 

“When Callie was with Silas, Jackson kissed her anyway. He knew that she was with another man, but he kissed her. And she kissed him back. And Silas… Silas couldn’t not let them be together. They are meant to be,” Jace whined as he finally looked up at Raphael. Raphael nodded along as Jace rambled and when Jace stopped talking, Raphael handed him the script from the trash can and a dark red pen. 

“Silas was never really in love with Callie. He just wanted her to be happy and he realized that her happiness was with Jackson when the truth came out.” Jace nodded. He knew that Raphael might have said something different if he knew he was equating the characters to himself, Simon, and Izzy. “If this series taught me anything, it’s that the world isn’t black and white. And neither is love,” Raphael said softly. 

“This grey area is really throwing off my ability to write a kickass series finale,” Jace gruffed as he stood up from the couch. He paced across the floor before walking back to Raphael. “How do you… get back into it?” Jace asked lamely, a bit embarrassed he had to ask. 

“I think you should go watch Venus and Alexa. I believe they’re filming the wedding scene you wrote. It might be good for you to see exactly the kind of story you’re helping to create,” Raphael suggested. Jace nodded and started toward the door. He stopped when he reached it and heard Raphael curse to himself. “Will you just leave, Wayland?” Raphael sounded exasperated and Jace waved him off with a roll of his eyes. 

“I was going to say thank you,” Jace said. Raphael nodded and motioned him out the door. Jace took his advice and as he stepped outside, he was immediately hit with the sound of the music blasting. He had helped choose the romantic ballad for this scene. It was Alexa finally choosing herself over anyone else. Alexa finally choosing Venus. It was a scene that had Simon hugging him for the first time and a scene that had a tear in Raphael’s always dry eyes. Jace had been so proud of that. It was a major change from the books that he wasn’t sure Simon was going to like, but he wrote it anyways. He wanted them to choose each other in the most dramatic way possible and it was a scene that everyone in the cast was looking forward to filming. He stepped into the room and shook his head in disbelief. Alexa was walking swiftly down the aisle and grabbing onto the lapels of Venus’ dusky purple suit and kissing her. 

At that moment, he locked eyes with Simon. Simon, who should be watching the scene play out in front of him was staring in his direction, like he had sensed Jace’s presence upon entering the room. The thought had Jace’s spine tingling and his breath catching in his throat. He stared at Simon, taking in the man in front of him that only a few short months ago, was a dream. His glasses that always seemed just a little crooked on his face were no different then. He had on a band t-shirt, some miniscule band that Jace had never heard of, and jeans that hung off of his hips. 

He thought back to the night they had shared a pair of headphones and went over Jace’s first script. They had teased each other and stayed close, like friends do when attached by a thin chord. But Jace knew they were never friends. They could never be friends. Because as he watched Simon, Alexa and Venus kissing passionately behind him, he realized that he would never be able to have that again. He would never be able to taste Simon on his lips again and he realized that he couldn’t handle that. 

So he turned around just as the Director yelled ‘cut’ and walked out of the building, the script laying flat in the garbage can next to the door.

* * *

The day of the premiere, Jace didn’t have the energy to get out of his bed. He had effectively avoided every single person involved in filming and writing for weeks and was incredibly proud of that fact. He had stayed holed up in his room, working on the script for the finale for days before mailing it to Raphael. Callie and Jackson would finish this season in coupled bliss, albeit with a new villain looming just over the horizon. That had satisfied Raphael enough for him to quit without thinking twice about it. 

He was grateful for the opportunity to work on the show, but he had to put his own feelings first. He couldn’t sit around and watch his sister and the person he was seriously crushing on fall all over each other for another season. While he loved the Divine Implements and everything the books represented, he had to make this decision for his own sanity. He would have been happy if he never had to see the crew together ever again. 

But Izzy just had to invite Alec to the premiere and Alec just  _ had _ to become a nervous wreck over going with Magnus. And that meant that Jace was tugging on the only suit he owned and struggling to straighten the tie around his neck. At the knock on his door, he jumped, his tie moving out of alignment once more. 

“What?” He called angrily at the door. It flew open and Alec stood, a tie in each hand and an anxious look furrowing his eyebrows. “Alec, just pick a tie and let’s go. The quicker we get there, the quicker I can leave.” Jace fixed the tie once more before making his way over to Alec. He grabbed the navy tie from his hand and wrapped it around Alec’s neck, tying it in a perfect knot before smoothing the shoulders of his jacket. 

“Thanks, Jace,” Alec breathed out. Jace nodded and let his hands stay on Alec’s shoulders. 

“I don’t know why you’re so nervous. Magnus would have said no if he didn’t want to come,” Jace commented. Alec nodded and looked up at Jace with a concerned glance. Jace shook his head and ran his hand through his hair as it trembled with nervousness. 

“I don’t know what’s been going on with you or why you of all people are nervous for a social gathering filled with people for you to go home with,” Alec said matter-of-factly. Jace rolled his eyes and tugged at the cuffs of his jacket. 

“I’m not going home with anyone, Alec,” Jace corrected him as he turned toward the door. He walked downstairs, Alec trailing behind him. 

“If this is about Simon, Jace, you have to know--” Jace threw his hands up and turned to Alec, a fire in his eyes. 

“I’m going to this premiere for Izzy and that’s it. Now, can we just go? Please?” Jace begged. Alec nodded somberly and followed Jace out the door. They drove silently to the event, Jace unable to sit still as his anxiety rose and rose. He had successfully avoided Simon since the filming of Venus and Alexa’s wedding and he wasn’t looking forward to the rush of emotions that was to come. They pulled up and parked at the venue, a grinning Izzy waiting for them at the entrance. 

“Can you believe this?” Izzy yelled as she pulled them both into hugs. It wasn’t until he was in Izzy’s arms that he noticed Simon over her shoulder. That rush of emotions Jace had thought he was prepared for was entirely more than he could handle. Instead of his usual band shirt and jeans, Simon had on deep blue button down and tan slacks that had Jace’s mouth watering at the sight. He pulled away from Izzy as Simon caught sight of them and ran over. 

“Hey, guys! I’m so glad you both could come. Magnus is waiting for you inside, Alec,” Simon commented with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Alec glared at him before taking a deep breath and heading through the doors. Jace went to follow him, wanting nothing less than to be stuck alone with Simon and Izzy, together, but Izzy grabbed his arm. 

“I know we live together but it’s like I haven’t seen you since my interview a few weeks ago. What’s going on?” Izzy asked, a hint of worry in her voice that Jace knew he didn’t deserve. He glanced over at Simon who was trying his hardest to avoid both of their stares. Jace knew that Simon must have been thinking about the giant mistake they had both made on that day. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Nothing, Iz. The writer’s room was a bit too crowded for me to push out the amazing finale script I wrote,” Jace teased. Izzy rolled her eyes but her grin never left her lips. 

“The finale was amazing, Jace. Just like this pilot is going to be!” She squealed softly and grabbed at Simon’s hand, his eyes shooting up to connect with Jace’s. Jace narrowed his eyes at Simon. His first reaction to his sister holding his hand should not be to look at Jace. Jace heard a throat clear and glanced over Simon’s shoulder and he had never been more grateful to see Raphael. 

“Hey, Grumps! I’ve missed that annoyed throat clear,” Jace taunted as he pushed past the couple, grateful for the interruption. He patted Raphael’s shoulder and received a low growl in response. “Down boy, just get me out of here, okay?” Jace pleaded. Raphael sighed heavily and gestured Jace inside. Jace nodded appreciately at him and his eyes widened when a few camera’s flashed in his direction. 

“Raphael Santiago and Jace Wayland. Head writers for the Divine Implements,” Raphael stated. Jace glanced over at him, his head shaking in disbelief. Raphael referring to them as a team was not something he expected out of this night. Jace opened his mouth to correct him but Raphael nodded at the camera’s as he pressed their shoulders together. Jace placed his elbow on Raphael’s shoulder and Raphael glared at him. Jace laughed and leaned into Raphael’s ear. 

“So, does this come with a pay raise or…” Raphael shoved Jace off of him and walked away, Jace following quickly with a wide smile plastered on his face, the first genuine one in weeks. He followed Raphael into the room where the cast and crew had already started mingling and accepted a drink from the bartender. 

“Simon is going to be making a speech before the show starts, just so you know,” Raphael warned as he sipped his drink. Jace shrugged as he sipped his own. 

“And why would I want to know?” Jace replied sarcastically. As Simon stepped on the stage, he tossed back the rest of his drink and waved his hand to request another. Raphael raised an eyebrow at him and Jace rolled his eyes. “Free booze, man,” Jace said by way of explanation. Raphael chuckled into his drink as Simon started speaking. 

“I, uh, didn’t write anything down but now that I’m looking at all of you, I regret that a lot,” Simon said as he rubbed the back of his neck. A few laughs spread through the audience and a few hollers followed after. “Okay, well. The Divine Implements was something I started when I was a teenager as a way to escape the world I was living in. I never thought it would see the light of day let alone be adapted into a freaking tv show,” Simon said, his voice full of astonishment. “This story means so much to those that have read it, almost as much as it means to me. And I couldn't be more grateful for those involved with making it come alive. Izzy, Andrew. My perfect Callie and surefire Jackson.” The two held up their drinks as the crowd cheered them. Jace let out a loud whoop as Izzy waved in his direction. “The entire cast of this amazing first season, I can’t thank any of you enough. But I will try, obviously. You’ve all met me,” Simon joked. Jace couldn’t help but laugh as he glanced back at the stage. His breath caught when he saw Simon staring at him. He tossed back his drink and tried to avoid Simon’s eyes but couldn’t. “And I have to take a special second to thank the incredible writers who have made my own writing that much better. Raphael and Jace especially.” The crowd cheered and Jace accepted a few pats on the back from fellow writers. “Raphael has been with me since the beginning and you all know how I feel about him,” Simon trailed off with an eyeroll. 

“You’d be nothing without me,” Raphael deadpanned as he took another sip of his drink. Simon laughed along with the crowd but it faded when he caught Jace’s eyes again. 

“And I couldn’t be more thankful to have found Jace. Someone who read these books and scribbled notes in the margin of ways to make it better. Someone who  _ knows _ these characters just as much as I do and cares about them even more. Without you, this show would not have been what it was, Jace,” Simon finished. The crowd had gone a little bit quiet with every one of Simon’s words and Jace felt his face reddening at the intensity of Simon’s stare. Simon seemed to catch on and cleared his throat, holding up his drink high. “L’chaim and TDI! ” He shouted as he finished the rest of his drink. The crowd erupted in applause but Jace barely heard it, his ears ringing with Simon’s words. He knew he had Simon’s respect and he thought that should have been enough, but then Izzy’s hand reached up to help Simon off the stage and Jace remembered why he didn’t want to come to this event in the first place. He tossed back another shot before he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“Easy there, amigo. Pace yourself,” Raphael warned as he looked at Jace curiously. Jace shrugged at him and ordered another shot. Raphael waved off the bartender and Jace scoffed. 

“What are you doing? It’s a party right? Drinking and dancing are a must!” Jace yelled a bit louder than intended but he could feel the alcohol rushing through his veins and began to not care about much else. He grabbed Raphael’s hand and pulled him to the dance floor. He found a great amount of amusement in the scowl on Raphael’s face as he danced with him. 

“I don’t see why you are always dragging me with you, Wayland,” Raphael started. Jace could see his shoulders moving just slightly to the beat and laughed, pointing at him. 

“Because you secretly  _ love _ this!” Jace accused as he pushed up against Raphael. Jace wasn’t sure what came over him, but being pressed close to someone for the first time since Simon mixed with the inebriation had him making the stupidest decision he could have possibly made. 

Jace grabbed Raphael’s face in his hands and connected their lips. He kissed Raphael with a passion that only someone who has consumed four alcoholic beverages had. His eyes stayed closed as he imagined they were Simon’s lips on his. Simon’s sloppy but perfect lips, kissing him back just as passionately. Except, these lips didn’t kiss him back. These lips were moving. Then Jace felt hands on his suit jacket, pulling him back with a force he wasn’t expecting. 

“What are you doing?!” Simon yelled, spinning Jace around to face him. Jace let out a giggle that bubbled over like champagne. He shrugged and glanced over at Raphael. He didn’t look too pissed, sipping his drink and smirking. 

“Kissing a fucking brick wall apparently,” Jace commented. Raphael winked at him before walking to the bar. 

“We’ve been here for less than an hour and you’re wasted?” Simon accused as he started pulling Jace toward the door. Jace planted his feet firmly on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. Simon huffed from where he stood. “Can you stop acting like a child, Jace? You’re ruining this party,” Simon said, his voice just above a whisper. Jace let out a dark laugh and threw up his hands. 

“I’m ruining this party?! Because I kissed someone? Well, you ruined me when you kissed me!” Jace said pointedly. The realization of what he said took a few moments to kick in. The gasp from Izzy’s lips was just enough to have it smashing into him, though. Jace turned back toward Izzy who looked entirely confused. Jace gaped at her but when she took a step forward, he turned and ran. The guilt was too much for him to handle as he pushed past the photographers and the fans waiting to catch a peak at one of the elusive stars of the show. He knew someone was running after him when the girls screamed. 

“Izzy! Isabelle! Simon!” He heard in a chorus. He stopped abruptly but didn’t turn around. He felt a petite hand on his shoulder and a pang shot through his heart. He didn’t deserve the soft touch his sister was giving him. 

“Jace, what is going on?” Izzy’s voice asked gently. He shrugged his shoulders and avoided her eyes when she stepped in front of him. She punched his shoulder roughly and Jace flinched even though he deserved it. “Have you been avoiding the set and your own sister because… because you and Simon… kissed?” Izzy inquired as she tried to meet his eyes. Jace nodded and when he finally gave in and looked at her, she was smiling. 

“I, what?” Jace asked. He was expecting Izzy’s famous guilt tears or even a scowl of some sort, but the grin that was covering her face was too confusing for Jace to handle. He shook his head slowly as a giggle escaped Izzy’s lips. She covered her face with one hand and placed the other on his shoulder. 

“You’ve heard of the term publicity stunt, correct?” Jace nodded, a frown forming on his lips as he watched his sister nod along with him. She kept nodding without saying a word like Jace was supposed to understand why that was important. She rolled her eyes and turned Jace around where Simon was standing, his hands in his pockets and a blush on his cheeks. 

“Not everyone had as much faith in this show as you did, Jace,” Simon started as he stepped forward. Jace watched him, eyeing his every step as he kept moving forward. 

“That’s because everyone is stupid,” Jace said without thinking. Simon huffed out a quiet laugh as he shook his head in disbelief. 

“My agent and Izzy’s agent put their heads together and decided that the best thing to promote the show was a romance...” Simon trailed off. Jace connected the dots then and glanced back and forth between Simon and Izzy. 

“Why not Izzy and Andrew?” He asked. Both of the others laughed at the question.

“Andrew is incredibly engaged, Jace,” Izzy stated. She pushed Jace toward Simon, a solid shove that had Jace tripping over his feet. Simon steadied him with a hand on his waist and Jace froze. It was like his brain finally processed the new information and he couldn’t control himself. He launched himself into Simon and kissed him with everything he had. Simon held on tightly and kissed him back, their lips moving quickly, like neither of them could get enough. Simon pulled away first, his smile getting in the way of their kiss. Jace slapped a hand on Simon’s arm and scowled at him. 

“I’ve been stewing for weeks, Simon! You kissed me, full well knowing I thought you were dating my  _ sister _ !” Jace yelled before he turned his head toward Izzy, not quite ready to let Simon go. 

“You’re not dating him?” Jace asked. Yeah, he had just kissed Simon but he had to be  _ sure _ . Izzy rolled her eyes and gestured toward Simon’s hands around Jace’s waist and he shook his head. “Weeks. We had weeks where we could have been kissing and I could have been less sad,” Jace thought out loud as he turned back on Simon. Simon shrugged and gestured toward the group of girls watching on. 

“The worst part is… I think they would’ve preferred paparazzi photos of us,” Simon commented. The girls in the crowd nodded their heads in agreement and Jace threw his head back in laughter. 

“You know, you’re going to be spending a lot of time making this up to me,” Jace threatened as he rested his forehead on Simon’s. Simon just shrugged and pulled Jace’s body just a little bit closer. 

“We’ve got a whole nother season to write.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! This was supposed to be a quick 1k that spiralled out of CONTROL. But I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! 
> 
> Feel free to shout at me on [Tumblr](https://archeryandeyeliner.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thatnerdemilyj).
> 
> Please leave kudos if you like it and comment to make me smile.


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